Description

We hate replacing brake lever hoods until we absolutely have to. But that doesn't mean you Campagnolo 11-speed owners shouldn't have a pair of these sitting in a box in your gear closet. You should. Get a pair of these Campagnolo 11-Speed Ultra Shift Lever Hoods now, while you're thinking about it.

It gets down to this. Despite our professed distaste for honoring superstitions, we find that our first few rides with any of the following -- new gloves, new tape, new hoods, new shoes, new shorts -- are among the most dangerous. We seem more likely to wreck that new piece on those rides than any other time. Either that or we're suffering from Heisenberg's uncertainty principle on those occasions.

The Murphy's Law aspect of wrecking gear is that it happens when you need it least. Right before a big ride, a big race, a travel day when you're taking the bike to a remote area, or at the start of a long holiday weekend. As aggravating as the dumb crash that wrecked the stuff was, having to see and/or feel the duct or electrical tape holding that part together magnifies the frustration. Riding with taped-together lever hoods might be among the worst of the lot.

So, with that expressed, we bring you these 11-speed hoods. At this point, they're probably not at your corner bike shop. There's a good chance they're not stocked by the nearby pro shop either. As with all ergo hoods, there's a right and left. If you are replacing a fatally damaged hood, cut off the old hood and put this one on by threading it over the bottom of the brake lever blade. Bring it up and over the knob at the top of the lever and then down into place. Do not grab the thin end or little tabs. Try to pull from the meatiest part of the rubber. While technicians at Campagnolo tell us not to use lubricant, we've found that rubbing alcohol provides plenty of slipperiness between the rubber hoods and the lever bodies -- just like sliding on mountain bike grips. You'll have to wait five or ten minutes for it to evaporate before you ride. Campagnolo 11-Speed Ergopower lever hoods only work with Campagnolo 11-Speed Ergopower levers.

Here's what others have to say...

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Accent Color

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

These hoods are a great way to add accent color to tie in other components. All hoods are a bit of a pain to swap, but being original Campagnolo parts, they fit perfect. The white hoods show grime much more than the red or black, but clean up easily with a little rubbing alcohol and a cloth towel.